Oceania! Australia + New Zealand

I was traveling to Sydney, Australia for work, so I decided to add on another week and turn it into a work/vacation combo trip. During this trip, I visited Queenstown, New Zealand and Cairns, Australia in addition to Sydney. I referenced an itinerary for ideas of what to do, but I modified it to fit my own schedule and interests, so I'll be explaining in detail what exactly I did below. If you prefer to consume this content in video form or to see more visual details, please check out my Youtube videos (New Zealand, Australia).

Wednesday, January 29 - Thursday, January 30

This was the start of my trip. I left home around 7:30pm for a 10:45pm flight out of SFO. This was a 13 hour flight to Aukland, New Zealand which was 21 hours ahead of San Francisco. Due to the time difference, it was Friday morning when I got off the plane, so I'll just use this space to talk about the flight.

I flew on United Airlines in premium economy. I would definitely recommend this for a long-haul trip as it was significantly more comfortable than standard economy due to the wider set, additional recline, leg rest and foot rest. Additionally, meal service is nicer and comes with proper dishes and cutlery vs the disposable items in standard economy. We received two meals and a snack (which I didn't have but was some kind of sandwich) during the flight. We also received an amenity kit which came with socks, hand cream, facial towelette, lip balm, dental kit, facial tissues and an eye mask. Thanks to all of this, I was able to get a pretty good amount of sleep with the help of some melatonin, so I didn't really feel jet lagged when I arrived.





Friday, January 31

I arrived in Auckland at around 9am. I had to go through immigration and customs then transfer to the domestic terminal and re-do bag check + security for my connecting flight to Queenstown. They did have a shuttle between terminals, but you'll want to make sure that your layover is long enough. Mine was around 2 hours which was enough time at this hour since there were no lines. 

There was no premium economy on my flight to Queenstown, so I was in regular economy. I didn't mind this since the flight was only 2 hours. I arrived in Queenstown around 1:30pm and took the bus from the airport to my hotel. I purchased the Bee Card for a total of 10 NZD ($5 for the card + $5 value). This was enough to get to my hotel and back to the airport. You don't need to purchase a Bee Card, but it would have been twice as expensive to just pay cash. I was able to get change and purchase the card from the driver onboard the bus, so you'll just need to make sure you stop at an ATM beforehand. I just used Google maps to figure out the bus route, and it was pretty seamless, so as long as you have data (I have free data through T-mobile), you won't have any issues in that regard.

After arriving at my hotel (Novotel Queenstown Lakeside), I checked in, changed quickly then headed back out to Skyline Queenstown to ride the gondola and the luge. I pre-purchased my tickets online which meant I didn't have to wait in line before boarding the Gondola. I decided to purchase the gondola + 3 luge ride package which was enough for me. They have two different tracks for the luge, so 3 was the perfect amount to basically have 1 test ride then 1 good ride on each track. If you really enjoy this kind of thing, you may want more rides especially if you're in a group. The luge itself is safe for children (they can either ride alone or with an adult depending on age/height), so this is definitely a family friendly activity. Since the luge is gravity operated (no motor) and speed is fully controlled by the driver, there's no need for people who are adrenaline-averse like me to miss out. They have lockers, but you can also ride with a backpack or crossbody bag.

After Skyline Queenstown, I grabbed dinner from Fergberger which is pretty famous in Queenstown. They have a variety of burgers and burger-alternatives. I had the Codfather which was a cod sandwich, and it was pretty good. I would definitely recommend.


Saturday, February 1

I picked up breakfast in the morning from Fergbaker. I had a ham and swiss croissant, nothing crazy. My primary activity for the day was a sightseeing tour to Milford Sound. I booked the activity on Viator, and it included a roundtrip scenic flight between Queenstown and Milford Sound and a boat tour through the sound (which is apparently not really a sound but a fiord...not sure of the difference). There are cheaper options via bus if you don't want to pay for a flight, but the scenic flight was gorgeous and the bus ride is quite long (I think something like 5 hours each way), so I would definitely recommend the flight version if you can afford it.

To provide some logistical details, I would make sure to bring a substantial jacket. I traveled in February which is summer in the southern hemisphere, and it was quite cold on the boat. I was wearing a sweater, jeans and boots and put a NorthFace 3-in-1 on top (puffer jacket + rain shell) on top. That was fine, but I definitely would have been cold with fewer layers, so plan accordingly. There is no food included but they did serve limited free beverages on the boat. Additional beverages and food options were available to purchase. Hotel pickup and dropoff was also provided. The activity does mention that it's accessible to wheelchairs and strollers, but I would probably call them to confirm any accessibility needs since we did climb stairs to get into the plane. We also needed to be weighed. They mention to contact them if you weigh more than 140kg/308lb (I would add some padding here since we were weighed with all of our clothes, bags, everything we were bringing on the plane).


After the tour, I grabbed a snack from McDonalds before heading to Queenstown Ice Bar. The ice bar was pretty cool. All of the tables and chairs were made from ice, and they had lots of cool ice sculptures. The glass for the drinks was made from ice as well. I purchased entry + 1 drink and that was plenty for me since I definitely wouldn't have wanted to stay in there long enough to drink multiple drinks. The temperature is -12C (10F) which is quite cold. They do have jackets, gloves and boots as well as the option to rent a hat, but I would still dress warmly as my hands and toes got a bit cold. I feel like my body might have been cold as well if I didn't have on a sweater underneath my jacket. It definitely seemed like a bit of a tourist gimmick, but I would recommend it if you're looking for something cool to do for an hour or so. I ended my day with some pasta from Casetta.






Sunday, February 2

I started the day with brunch at Odd Saint. I had "julio's corned beef carnitas hash" with smoked salmon instead of the beef. I also had a cheesy scone which was almost like a hybrid between a biscuit and a toasted bagel. It was quite good especially with the sauce from the hash. I then went to Queenstown Gardens and spent a bit of time walking through before walking along the water back to my hotel.

My one activity for the day was a cruise to Walter Peak High Country Farm + a bbq dinner onsite. They do have animals onsite as well which were nice to see. My favorite were the alpacas. There was also a sheep shearing and sheep herding demonstration. I didn't particularly care for the sheep shearing portion since I felt that the sheep looked uncomfortable (not in pain...just uncomfortable), but the sheep herding was fascinating to watch.


Monday, February 3

This was the day that I traveled from Queenstown, New Zealand to Sydney, Australia via Virgin Australia. I grabbed breakfast from Brunch on Church before heading to the airport. After arriving, I just doordashed some dinner. 

I will mention that I stayed at the Hyatt Regency Sydney during my time in Sydney. It was a nice walk from there to my company's office via the Pyrmont Bridge.

Tuesday, February 4 - Thursday, February 6

I was at work all day Tues-Thurs! The only interesting thing I did on Tuesday was to take a walk at Darling Harbor. I attempted to go to the Chinese Garden of Friendship, but it was closed :(

On Wednesday, I did take a trip to the Sydney Opera House to see the Barber of Seville in the evening. I typically am a Broadway Musical girl, and I think I'll probably continue after this experience for a few different reasons. 1) the opera was all in Italian which I think is pretty standard for opera. It's harder to get a complete experience when you have to read subtitles to know what they are saying 2) The story and lyrics were pretty simple and seemed designed to primarily showcase the singing. I think I prefer the Broadway style which highlights the story and the singing simultaneously.

Friday, February 7

Friday after work, I decided to explore the city a bit. I decided to have dinner at Mamak Haymarket after it was recommended by my co-workers. I had the Roti Canai which was amazing! I'm still in search of something similar near my home. The roti was very flaky and had a good texture. It paired nicely with the curries it came with, but I ended up eating most of it with the curry from my main dish which was the Kari Ayam (chicken curry).



I ended the night with a walk through Potts Point and a stop for a frozen mandarin margarita from Sweethearts Rooftop before heading back to my hotel.

Saturday, February 8

I started my day with breakfast at Luxe8 Cafe and Bar. I had an omelette, toast and tea which was pretty substantial and perfect for the long day ahead. I spent most of Saturday at the Taronga Zoo. My favorite animals were the koalas and kangaroos. I pre-purchased my ticket online which was pretty convenient. The zoo is easily accessible via both bus and ferry (I took the bus there and the ferry back). I decided to take a quick walk through the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney before ending the day with some Doordash and Tim Tams.





Sunday, February 9

Sunday was a travel day. I flew from Sydney to Cairns, Australia on Virgin Australia. I stayed at the Hilton Cairns. After arriving, I didn't do much since I was pretty tired after the long day the previous day plus waking up early to get on the plane. I ended up grabbing a pizza from Rattle n Hum and spending the day in my room relaxing and catching up with some friends via phone.

Monday, February 10

This day, I spent the day snorkeling which was the primary reason I came to Cairns. I was a bit concerned about the weather since it was the rainy season. Additionally, it had been a bit rainy the previous day. However, we got lucky and the only rain we had during the day was during our lunch break. We didn't have any rain during the snorkeling portions nor during the trip out/back. Additionally, the water was still quite clear which isn't always the case during rainy season. If you're traveling to Australia specifically to snorkel, I would be mindful of this and maybe try to avoid going during the rainy season. However, since I was traveling for other reasons and wanted to make the most of my time there, I was willing to risk it. Thankfully, it paid off. I didn't take any pics from this portion unfortunately, but I do have some video footage in the Youtube vlog linked above.

Tuesday, February 11 - Wednesday, February 12

At this point in the trip, I was pretty tired and it was rainy. I spent pretty much all of Tuesday just relaxing in my room and prepping for the trip back. My only "outing" was to go have dinner at Ollie's Italian.


Wednesday was a very long travel day. I flew from Cairns to San Francisco via Brisbane. The trip back was pretty much the same as the trip there. I was in Virgin Australia economy for the domestic short flight then in United premium economy for the long-haul flight.

Final Thoughts + Cost Breakdown

Important notes:
  • American citizens will need a Travel Authorization to visit Australia or New Zealand (check your embassy website for info on other passports). This was pretty easy to obtain via their respective apps (note: you need one for each. You can't get a single one that works for both).
  • Be mindful of what food items you bring into Australia and New Zealand. They are pretty strict with animal and plant products. I would stick with packaged goods like protein bars. I would probably even stay away from things like beef jerky to be safe. I didn't have any, but it was one of the things they asked me about when I told them I had nuts, so I suspect there may be some extra scrutiny. Do not bring any fresh foods like deli meat or fresh fruit!
Cost breakdown:
  • Flights:
    • $753.04 (my portion only; total was $5035.04)
    • San Francisco -> Queenstown -> Sydney -> Cairns -> San Francisco + paying for additional baggage for the middle legs
  • Travel Authorization
    • Australia: 20 AUD
    • New Zealand: 117 NZD
  • Hotel
    • Queenstown (3 nights): $699.98
    • Sydney (6 nights): $0 (my portion only; total was $1094.03)
    • Cairns (3 nights): $663
  • Activities: $894.13
  • Food + Ground Transportation + Misc
    • does not include work-related expenses
    • Queenstown: $127.97
    • Sydney: $75.19
    • Cairns: $142.12


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